The Republican journal., 1887-05-05
Literary News and Notes.

Literary News and Notes.
The current serials in Harper's Maya
zine are very strong. The May Number
contains the fourth part of Mr.. HowelPs
Boston society novel, "April Hopes" and
the fifth part of Kathleen o. s.leara's Rus
sian novel, "Narka."
With the May number, the Southern
Blvouac, of Louisville, KY, ceased pub
llcation,. and its goodwill, plates, etc,
passed into the hands of the Century Co.,
OF New York, who will fill unexpired sub
scrlptions with The Century Magazine.
1t is not probable that any of the unused
material will appear in The Century, but
it is expected that some of the war arti
cles which the Southern Bivouac has
printed, may be used in "Battles and
Leaders of the Civil War;" the subscrip-
ton book which the Century Co. is about
to bring out.
As the annual dog shows are about to
appear with the first of May the article
on 'The American Mastiff' in the Nav
Harper's, arrives with characteristic
tlmeliness. The writer, Charles Z. Mar.
shall, Jr., describes the traditional quail
tiles OF the English mastiff, and shows
now these have been modified by Amer
lean breeders until several varieties quite
unlike the English type have been orig
mated. The article is we'll illustrated bv
a number of fine engravings of the most
conspicuous examples of American mas
tiffs
In his article on PHARAOH" in the
May Century, Professor J. \. Paine (who
will be remembered as the identitier OF
Nit. Pisgah) advances the novel theory
that Rameses the Great married his own
daughter, the patroness of Moses. 1t has
been held by some authorities that this
"Pharaoh's daughter" was the child OF
Seti l., who proceeded Rameses the Great,
and that in uniting herself to Rameses
she married her own brother: Professor
Paine, however, points out indications
and evidence proving that she was not
the daughter, but the granddaughter, of
Setl, and that she married her own faith
er.
The May number of Outing, the pCpu-
lar magazine of sports, opens with an ar
tlstic colored Autograph of its bicycling
hero, Thomas Stevens. The picture re-
presents him as he appeared while Pc
dalllng along the great central trunk
road OF Hindoostan. The portrait is by
Kelley, clever and picturesque in treat
ment, and will be very acceptable to all
cyclists. The number is unusually rich
and varied in subjects, maintaining at the
same time its high literary character.
The special technical articles are excel
lent. They embrace an admirable treat
Use on the scientific laws that govern
the curve in delivery of the base ball;
the theory is clearly and precisely defin-
ed, and the facts are aptly Illustrated by
mathematical diagrams that are readily
understood by the initiated and uninitia-
ted alike. 1t will be thoroughly appre-
ciated by all lovers of the Irrational
game and ought to be made a study by
every pitcher and batsman, professional
and amateur, in the country The gen
eral tone and spirit of the number is Wig
orous, healthy and entertaining, and is
credit both to the periodical literature of
the country, and the fresh, out-of- door
recreations of the people.
Mr.. John Burroughs opens the May
number of "The Popular Science Month
ly" with an article on "The Natural YER
sus the Supernatural, which is intended
to vindicate the position taken in his ar
ticle on "Science and Theology" in the
December number of the "Monthly" In
it he maintains that the conception of
Christianity is one with the constitution
OF the world, and not an Interpolation in
to human history. In the "Intluence of
Snow Masses on Climate" Mr.. A. J.
Woeikoff gives some facts and results of
his own very extensive observations,
which may help US to understand why
our spring is so late and cold. Dr. Fran
ces Emily White publishes an instructive
address on "Hygiene as Basis of Nor
ais" Professor Byron ID. Halsted gives
a pleasant outdoor paper, full of botan-
ical knowledge on "Prairie- Flowers of
Early Spring." as observed by him in
Iowa last year. Mr.. w. C. Gouinlock
discovers the cause of badness in the
tight, hard, air proof, "stove pipe hats"
which fashion prescribes Other articles
of interest and the usual attractive de-
partments make varied and excellent
number. d. Appleton Il Co., New York
Prize Selections, selected and arranged
by c. w. Moulton, is handsome volume
ofchoice poetcal selections that will make
lively stir among young readers when
its intent becomes known. The volume
contains e25 quotations from English and
American authors, popular and obscure,
many of them from old English classics,
more from living writer's of eminence and
some from contributors to newspapers
and magazines who have not yet achiev-
ed the dignity of volume. The quota
tons are numbered and properly ar
ranged, though without any connection
as to subject The publishers offer a
series of cash prizes to the persons who
greatest number of selections The
competitor who, having purchased the
book, gives the author of the most quo
tations, receives cash prize of 800. 90 );
the second, a prize of $1,000, the third,
$4,000, etc. Nineteen prizes are to be
declared. Aside from the interest of the
search for authors, the plan will be a
benefit in educating young readers to a
love of poetry and in making them ac-
quainted with the works and lives of the
best English and American writer's of
verse from the earliest times. Price 81
d. Lothrop Company, Boston.
Thoughts on Beauty, by John Ruskin,
compiled by Rose Porter, is a recent
and notable addition to the "Spare Min
ute Series" No living writer on art and
on beauty in nature and art holds so
high and secure place in the estima-
ton of English speaking people as John
Ruskin. Despite his eccentricities, and
an aggressiyeness that often tinges his
opinions with an appearance of dogma
tism, Ruskin is a writer of wonderful
fascination. Much of this fascination is
undoubtedly due to the fact that we feel
he is speaking the truth. He is above
all things honest. He is hater of
shams, and wherever and whenever he
finds one he punctures it, no matter how
hedged round it may be by authority,
age or position. His writings are vol
luminous, and few of his books are popu-
larly known. 1t is chiefly among schol-
ars and people of culture in special di-
rections that they are read as they de-
serve to be. In preparing this volume
Miss Porter has confined herself to Rus
kin's discourses on Nature, Morals and
Religion, for the reason that they are less
known to general readers than those that
deal with art and kindred topics; yet
II, c.-ll